Planning & Development

The Planning and Development Department unifies the functions of business promotion and growth, residential and commercial development, inspections and project management/engineering. If you are a resident who wants to build an addition on your home or subdivide your property; an investor who is buying a parcel of land for subdivision and sale, a business that wants to move into Claremont or expand in Claremont, or a citizen concerned about health and safety code concerns, the Planning and Development department is here to assist you. Although the department acts as an interrelated team, there are three primary subdivisions to help improve our process; economic development, the planning & zoning process, and building inspection and code enforcement. Our citizen Boards & Commissions also play an active role in the Planning and Development process.

Economic Development

The primary focus of economic development is to promote vitality in the community. This is comprised of a vibrant city center, diverse housing opportunities, the substantive re-use of historic buildings, and the expansion of retail and light industry to create a strong tax base, stable working economy and quality of life for the people of Claremont.

The Planning & Zoning Process

If you are going to build or expand a residence or business in Claremont, you must meet the local zoning, subdivision and site plan regulations. The Planning and Development Department can advise you if you need to file an application for your project, and will give you information on which application to file, and whether you will need to meet with the Planning and/or Zoning Boards or another board or commission. The Planning Board meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month, and the Zoning Board meets on the 1st Monday of the month.

Building Inspection & Code Enforcement

In our everyday lives we all rely on the safety of structures. There is a public need for protection from disaster caused by fire, structural collapse, and general deterioration of the structure. This is the fundamental reason behind the need for building codes and their administration. The intent of the building inspectors is to provide the highest level of expertise possible to protect, life safety, property, and environment through effective plans review and inspection process to ensure code compliancy.